Sailing athlete Karl-Martin Rammo has been chosen to carry the Estonian flag in the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, August 5.

"This is a great honor for me," said Rammo. "One becomes an Olympic athlete themselves, through hard work. The honor of carrying the flag is entrusted to an athlete by other people and I am very touched that I earned this trust."

Rammo added that the Estonian flag has always been carried in the opening ceremony by great athletes, and that joining such a list of athletes will give him an extra boost of confidence and faith heading into the Games.

"Karl-Martin Rammo has shown himself to be a promising athlete capable of development, who, despite his young age, is competing in his second Olympics already," noted Estonian Olympic Committee (EOK) President Urmas Sõõrumaa. "The role of carrying the flag at the Olympics' opening ceremony is symbolic in nature, as is our choice of a sailor for the role, which has many links to us as a maritime people and this year's [Estonian] Year of Maritime Culture. The sea has always been an important part of our lives and culture."

27-year-old Karl-Martin Rammo will be taking part in the Olympic Laser-class sailing competition. His trainer is Rein Ottoson. In the previous Olympic Games he achieved 18th place, and in the past five years has made the top ten in the European Championships twice, achieving 10th place in 2011 and seventh in 2013.

Rammo will be the second sailor to carry the Estonian flag in the Olympics' opening ceremony, following current EOK Vice-President Tõnu Tõniste, who carried the flag in the Sydney Games in 2000.